All Our Vital Bodily Fluids Is Contaminated

An old trend seems to have resurfaced. Di-Nitro-Chickenwire suddenly is "everywhere".

So, we ask, has the resurgence of green in American politics tempted some to use fear-mongering to get "bad attention?"

First we have Associated Press, which we had thought was a mainly a press syndication outfit, trying to out-Greenpeace Greenpeace by sampling our drinking water for trace levels of synthetic drug residues. The test results got some action: they have drummed up US Congressional hearings and presumably some big Google hit rates.

New tests of 100 "natural" and "organic" soaps, shampoos and other consumer products show that nearly half of them contained a cancer-causing chemical that is a byproduct of petrochemicals used in manufacturing.

Many items that tested positive for the carcinogen are well-known brands, including Kiss My Face, Alba, Seventh Generation and Nature's Gate products, sold in retail stores across the nation.

Most traditional soaps and shampoos contain 1,4-dioxane. But the discovery that the chemical is present in many housecleaning and personal care products, including some for babies, that are advertised as being natural, organic or "green" comes as somewhat of a surprise.

"Whaaaah", said the possibly-tainted baby as he ate his organic pears. "What on earth is the world coming to if you can't count on green design," asked his parents?

The compound is not intentionally added to products; it is a byproduct of a process used to soften harsh detergents. It is formed when foaming agents, or surfactants, are processed with ethylene oxide or similar petrochemicals.

Nothing is perfect.

Big issues like climate change and energy policy warrant our immediate attention. Politicians are watching.. Every thing we say and read and blog is observed...closely

Fretting endlessly over trace amounts of anything will turn the modern green movement into a politically depreciated Chicken Little, faster than you can say Dr. Strangelove.